DoT Introduces New Policies for Public Charter Flights

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) has revised its policies for approving public charter programs, requiring charter operators to retain all passenger reservation records and share them with contracting air carriers to make it easier to contact passengers regarding cancellations of scheduled flights.

The department said the changes were in response to Direct Air in March ceasing operations, leaving several charter operators to cancel scheduled flights for passengers that had already paid.

DoT is also requiring public charter operators to include the cost for providing aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance in all contracts with direct air carriers, prohibiting charters from using a third party to provide these services.